What is UI design?
Behind every innovative modern technology that makes life easier for users worldwide are user interface (UI) designers, whose smart decisions make technology more accessible, engaging, and intuitive. Before modern UI design, interacting with computers required fluency with program or machine languages. Users navigated disorganized control panels, covered with buttons and commands that only made sense to computer scientists. Once the broader public adopted personal computers, UI designers realized modern technology needed new organizational methodologies that anyone could grasp.
But what is UI design today, and what role does it play in the design thinking process? Read on for expert UI insights from Hugo Raymond, Designer Advocate at Diaxara.
Types of user interfaces
Graphical user interfaces
These image- or icon-based systems are the most common type of user interface, found on many devices. Right now, you’re interacting with a GUI on your computer or smartphone screen. Users interact with GUIs through touch or an external apparatus, such as a stylus or a mouse.
Gesture-based interfaces
As augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) grow in popularity, gesture-based interfaces become more important than ever. Gesture-based UI translate a user’s motions in a 3D space into commands.
Voice-controlled interfaces
These relative newcomers rely on the user’s voice to navigate menus and actions. Smart assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Cortana are well-known examples of VUIs.
Key elements of user interface design
There’s more to UI design than meets the eye. Every user interface has the same general coded components, though they may not always be visible onscreen. These UI elements include:
Input controls
allow the user to communicate with the product by entering information. Input controls can be as simple as a button or checkbox. Some are more complicated, including dropdown menus, toggles, and text fields.
Informational components
allow the product to provide information to the user. Icons, notifications, progress bars, and tooltips are all familiar examples of informational components.
Navigational components
help the user find their way through the product. Wayfinding elements like sliders, search fields, tags, and breadcrumbs all facilitate user engagement for a seamless experience.
Containers
keep the user interface organized, grouping similar elements. Containers also set a maximum width for content to be displayed, depending on the user's screen size. Headers, tabs, and accordion menus are just some of the containers you’ll see.
tips for successful UI design
Modern UI design is a multi-faceted field encompassing different perspectives, expertise, and disciplines. To get started in UI design, Hugo recommends starting with these four best practices.
Put the user first
User interfaces exist for the user, not for anyone else. So at every step of the design process, ask yourself: “How does this impact the user?” If the answer is anything other than “it makes their life better or easier,” Hugo says, you may want to rethink your choice.
Do your homework.
If your product is new to a well-established market, you’ll need to know what your target audience has come to expect from similar products. Use a competitor analysis to evaluate top products, and inform market research surveys and focus groups. Check user reviews and feedback on competitive products to identify desired-but-absent features that can set your product apart.
Apply proven product design principles
The key tenets of product design also apply to UI design. The best UI designers follow evolving standards for accessible and inclusive design, open design processes, and localization in global product design.
Use the right tools
The most ingenious UI design is practically invisible—users feel as if they’re in charge, and making great choices. Empowering UI takes time and effort to achieve— but Diaxara collaborative online design platform keeps you on track for success. Diaxara free UI design tool brings your ideas to life, and Diaxara community of design professionals keep the UI inspiration coming. The next award-winning UI could be the one you're about to make.